Knitting machine and the like



Dec. 24, 1929. NELSON 1,740,618

KNITTING MACHINE AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 14, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dcc. 24, 1929. F. NELSON KNITTING MACHINE AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. l4,'1827 6 Sheets-Spat 2 F. NELSON KNITTING MACHINE AND THE LIKE Dec. 24', 1929.

Filed Jan. 14.. 1927 e Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 24, 1929. F. NELSON KNITTING MACHINE AND THE LIKE 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 14, 1927' 5% yio Dec.'24, 1929. F. NELSON 1,740,618

KNITTING MACHINE AND THBLIKE Filed Jan. 14. 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 mwn mnum Dec; 24, 1929.

F. NELSON KNITTING MA CHINE AND THE LIKE e Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Jan. 14. 1927 lllHllHl HIHIUIIIIIIIIIHHI l Patented Dec. 1929 PATENT OFFICE FRI'IHIOF NELsoN, F ROCKFORD, ILLiNoIs KNITTING MAonINE AND THE LIKE Application filed January 14, 1927. Serial No. 161,182.

The present invention has to do with certain improvements in knitting machines and the like such as are used, for example, in the manufacture ofknit socks, stockings,

etc. The features of the invention are particularly applicable to use in machines for the above purposes, but by mentioning certain particular-classes of machines in which the features of the invention are of partic- 1o ular applicability, I do not intend thereby to limit the use of the invention to such particular machines or to any other particular machines. 7

The features of the invention have partic- Z ular reference to a construction of machine capable of knitting a peculiar, stitch in a selected or desired portion of the article so as to give the same a peculiar and characteristic appearance. More especially, this feature of the invention concerns the pro vision of mechanisms which shall provide a peculiar and characteristic stitch in the up per portion of the sock or stocking, giving the same the appearance which is generally known in the trade as a ribbed stitch.

Machines capable of providing a stitchof the above mentioned peculiar characteristics are already in operation and are well known and understood in the art. I will state, how- 39 ever, at this point, that to the best of my knowledge all machines at present known capable of producing this particular or char acteristic stitch are necessarily provided with a special traveler or carriage which re-' cipro'cates backand forth andserves to feed the necessary yarns to the needles for the production of this particular characteristic stitch. An example of such a machine is that disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 617,039, issued January 3,1899, to John F. Nelson. I

'There are at the present time a large number of knitting machines of somewhat similar construction" to that illustrated in the aforesaid Letters Patent No. 617,039, which other machines, however, are not pro: vided with the necessary special carrier nor the necessary special needles for the produc tion of the ribbed top aforesaid. An example of such other type of machine is that shown in Letters Patent of the United States No. 585,589, issued June 29, 1897, to John F. Nelson. When machines of this type are used it is necessary, if, a fashioned or ribbed top is to be provided, to knit such 55 ribbed top on a separate machine and afterwards sew or otherwise attach it to the top of the sock or stocking made by the knitting machine itself. This necessitates a number of special and extra operations and does not produce a sock of the same unitary form and appearance as that which is produced on a machine capable in itself of forming the ribbed top. Socks or stockings having attached to them the separately knit ribbedtops do not command thesame high price in the market as the socks or stockings which are knitas a unit and in a single machine; and, furthermore, they are more expensive to manufacture.

Another serious objection to the use of a separate ribbed top sewed or otherwise attached to a separately knit body portion is the fact that it is becoming very difiicult and in many cases impossible to secure the necessary skilled labor for this purpose. I will state at this point that where the ribbed top is separately knit and attached to the body portion of the sock or stocking it is necessary to bring the various stitches of the ribbed top into exact alignment or registry with the stitches of the body portion, as otherwise the completed article will not pre-' sent the same finished appearance which it should have.

It would beextremely difficult, if not impossible, to reconstructor rearrange a knitting machine of the type disclosed in the aforesaid. Patent No. 585,589 so as to incorp'orate therein the necessary mechanisms for producing a true ribbed top in the sense in which that term has been previously understood in the art. I have, however, discovered the fact that it is possible, by a relatively simple and inexpensive rearrangement or attachment to machines of this type, to cause them to knit a unitary top portion on to the sock or stocking which presents an appear ance very similar to that of the previously understood ribbed top and one which to all practical intents and purposes will fully satisfy the demands of the market both as regards the appearance of the completed article and its use in service. By means of this relatively simple rearrangement or at tachment to machines of this type it will be possible to continuev in service or to re-establish in service many hundreds of knitting machines which have heretofore either not been used or the use of which would other- 7 v probably have to be discontinued in the near future owing to the conditions hereinabove explained.

It is the main object of the present invention to provide a straight-line knitting machine of the general type of the Nelson'Patent No. 585,589 with supplemental mechanisms or attachments whereby the same is capable of knitting a top portion having an appearance similar to that of a true ribbed top, in a sock which is knit as a complete, entire article of manufacture from the closed toe'to' the extreme top of the body portion. It is a further object of the invention to accomplish the foregoing result in such a manher as to produce'a false or mock ribbed-top in the sense that it is a modified stitch and i s-not ajstitch of identically the'same form as, that heretofore known and generally consi'dered as a ribbed top.

In the drawin-gs,'- V

Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a machine embodying the features of the present invention; V

Fig. 2 shows a front view corresponding to Fig. 1; i I

. Fig. 3 shows a left-hand end view corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2; i

Fig. 4 shows. a fragmentary, detail, face View of a portion of the inner face of the cir-' cular plate adjacent to the drumgear;

Fig. 5 shows a fragmentary, detail view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; I

'Fig. 6 showsan enlarged, sectional detail through the upper portion of the machine and illustrates the manner in which the de vice of the present invention may be related to the jacks and other operating and controlling devices for the needles so as to effect their operation under control and in the proper manner for the formation of the peculiar top desired;

Fig. 7 shows a skeleton form of cam and link mechanism for operating the jack controlling devices at the right hand or front side of the machine;

Fig. 8. is a plan .view corresponding to Fig-7;, 1 -Fig. 9 is a skeleton view of the ack operating or controlling devices for the back or rearside of the machine;

I Fig. 10 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 1s a fragmentary section on the line 1111 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows, and illustrates the fact that each of the rear jack controlling plates is provided with a pair of shoes which are laterally offset from each other in order to secure proper control of them by-the rotation of the drum;

Fig. 12 shows, on an enlarged scale, a face view of one of the alternate jack controlling plates for the front side of the machine, being taken on the line 1212 of Fig. 8, looking inthe direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 13 shows an intermediate jack con trolling plate at the front side of the machine, being taken on the line 13-13 of Fig. 8, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Before proceeding to describe in dein thetail the construction illustrated several figures, I will first-state that although the features of invention herein described are shown as being applied to a particular construction of machine, still it willbe understood that they may also be ap plied with equal advantage to many other types of machine than thatlillustrated. I will explain, however, that 'they, are chiefly applicable to so -called straight-line knitting machines in which there are'used two oppositely disposed sets of needles, one at the front'side and one at the back side, and suitable operating and controlling devices for bringing said needles consecutively into operation at the proper times. i r

Bearingthe foregoingin mind, I will firs state that in the particular machine illus trated in the drawings, there is provided a set of front needles, one appearing as 15 in Fig. 6, and a' set of back needles, one appearing as 16 in Fig; 6. These needles areslidably mounted in'suitable guides so that they canreciprocate back and forth. across the space 17 in the upper, central portion vof the machine. .For thispurpose there is provided a front jack 18 for'each ofthe front needles l5 and a rear jack .19 for each of the rear needles '16. These jacks are also slidably mounted in suitable guides'or the like, and each jack is provided at its inner end with a ,hookQO adapted to normally engage a finger or hook 21 on the corresponding needle. The arrangement is such that the reciprocations of the various jacks insure similar reciprocations of the various corresponding needles. ,Nevertheless, the" jacks maybe lifted up or down with respect to the needles, pivoting at such time on the hook connectionQO, 21;. Means are providedfor reciprocating the jacks back and'forth under control and in the proper sequenceor order. In the, particular construction illustrated such means takes the form of front and back cam plates 22'and' 23, respectively, which have cam blocks or grooves 22 and23? on their bottom faces. These cam bl'ocks22? and 23 are provided w th cam grooves of proper everyday use.

form, which cam grooves normally engage the upstanding lugs 24: and of the front and rear jack-s, respectively. The cam plates 22 and 23 and blocks 22 and 23 slide back and forth in fixed guides duringthe operation of the machine, and it will therefore be evident that as long as the ack lugs 24 and 25 remain in engagement with the cam grooves or slots of the blocks 22 and 23, respectively, the various jacks. and needles will be operated for the knitting function. However, if at any time any particular jack is lowered so as to disengage its lug from the corresponding cam-plate operating groove,

; such normal operation will be discontinued for the time being.

I will state at this point that the two cam plates 22 and 23 are connected together by a bridge plate or the like 26, so that they are compelled to reciprocate in harmony.

Furthermore, suitable links and levers 27 and 28 are provided for moving the bridge plate and cam plate back and forth under control of an operating wheel 29. Said operating wheel is provided inits front face with a groove 30, which is engaged by a pin or roller on the upper end of a rockarm 31, which in turn swings the arm 27 by a suitableconnection. The driving wheel 29 may be toothed as illus trated, and is in turndriven by a pinion 32 on the main operating shaft 33. Said operating shaft carries the fast and loose pulleys 34 and 35, by means of which it may be driven or allowed to. stand idle from the running belt.

\ A hand wheel 36 on the main shaft 33 serves as a convenient means for turning said shaft manually when it is desired to operate the machine slowly for the purpose ofthreading it or bringing it into any particular set.

A drum37 is provided in the rear portion of the machine for normally controlling the ope-ration of the acks and needles. Said drum is for this purpose provided with a. series of peripheral or surface grooves, each being of proper position and length and contour to control the rear jacks in the desired manner. Said drum is normally driven by a toothed wheel 38 located alongside of it, which toothed wheel in turn may be driven by a pinion 39 on a drum-controlled shaft 40 located in the front portion of the machine. This drum-controlled shaft will at times be driven by aworni tl and a. worm screw 42 in the manner which is well understood in the art, and in this manner the operation ofthe drum will be properly coordinated with the other movements of the machine.

Machines of the general type above ex.

plained are well known in the art and in For the above reason it is not considered necessary toeXpla-in the con s;ruction and operation ofthe abovemen tioned parts and certain other parts which related to them in greater detail. I wish to state at this point, however, that the character of the stitch which will be made by the operation of the needles will depend in large measure upon the manner in which the needles are operated relatively with respect to each other, and particularly the manner in which the back needles are operated relatively to the front needles. During certain of the knitting operations all of the back needles are used and all of the front needles are also used, as, for example, in knitting the leg. During certain other operations the back needles are allowed to stand idle; and during other operations the back needles are used part of the time in proper co-ordination with the front needles. The character and appearance of the stitch formed will also depend in large measure upon the manner in which the needles are operated with respect to the movements of the carrier which feeds the yarn back and forth in harmony with the needle movements. Inthose machines which I have previously referred to as being incapable of performing a true ribbed stitch, it is nevertheless possible to produce a mock ribbed stitch resen'ibling in large measure a true ribbed stitch, and without the necessity of altering the construction or operation of the machine beyond a simple control of certain of the jack movements in the manner which I will now explain in detail. In this movement all of the front needles and all of the back needles are used during one back and forth movement of the yarn carrier; and then only one half of the front needles and one half of the back needles are used during the next back and forth movement of the yarn carrier,the front and back needles so used being alternate needles, and. the intermediate front and back needles not being used at such time. The operation thus proceeds, using first all of the needles, and then; only the alternate needles, both front and back.

At a suitable point in the frame of the machine I provide a cam wheel or the like 43 having in its periphery a plurality of cam sockets or notches 44. This cam. wheel will at times be rotated or driven in harmony with the other portions of the machine, for which purpose it is providedv with a gear wheel 45 meshing with a, pinion 46 on the shaft 40.

In the front portion of the machine I provide a swing rod or the like 47, and, as a simple mode. of construction, this swing rod may be extended through slots of proper form in the various jack controlling plates 48. These jack controlling plates correspond to the various jacks, there being a plate 48 for each of the front needle jacks. These plates 48 are illustrated in detail in Figs. 12 and 1.3, intermediate jack plates 48 being of the form shown in Fig. 12, and alternate jack plates 48 beingv of the form shown. in Fig. 13. The, jack plates as, are provided with inwardly reaching slots 49, and the plates 48 are provided with upwardly reaching slots 49 the swing rod 47 extending through all of said slots. There is also a stationary bar 49 which extends along the machine in such position as to serve as a lower abutment or stop for fingers 49 of the alternate jack plates 48, preventing them from falling. Consequently the jackplates 48 are at all times sustained in the raised position of Fig. 13, notwithstanding any lowering of the swing rod 47;whereas the abutment 49 does not-in any manner interfere with the up and down swinging of the jack plates 48, so that said jack plates are raised and lowered in harmony with the movements of the swing rod 47.

It thus appears that by holding the swing rod 47 in the position of Figs. 12 and 13 all of the front jack plates 48 and 48 are retained in their working positions, whereas by lowering the swing rod 47, intermediate jack controlling plates 48 are lowered into such a position that their jacks are disengaged from the cam block 22 and therefore the corresponding needles stand idle, only the intermediate needles operating at such times.

The stationary abutment bar 49 may be supported in any convenient manner from the interior mechanism of the machine, the details of said support not being considered a necessary feature of the present invention, although in Fig. 8 the bar 49 is shown as having one end connected to a portion of the frame of the machine shown at 49.

Each of the jack controlling plates 48 and 48 has a lower finger 50 and an upper finger 51, providing between them a slot or recess for the accommodation of the end portion of the jack. Upon tilting these jack controlling plates towards the left, as when viewed in Figs. 6, l2 and 13, the corresponding jacks are depressed so as to disengage their lugs from the corresponding operating cam block 22, as already explained.

For the above purpose, I have provided a rod 52 extending through all of the various jack operating plates 48 and 48-, said rod being suitably mounted in the nachine. he swing rod 47 has its end portions carried by end crank blocks 53, which are secured to the end portions of the rod 52 so that upon rock i'ng the rod 52 the inner ends of the crank blocks53 will be raised or lowered as the "case maybe, thereby raising and lowering. the swing rod 47 which is connected to the moving ends of said crank blocks 53. in this way the rocking of the rod 52 does not move the pivotal points of the jack controlling plates 48 and 48, but said rocking does serve to raise or lower the swing rod 47 and thereby to control the movements ofthe alternate jack controlling plates.

The rod 52 carries at its outer end a crank 54 by means of which it may be rocked. A plate 55 is pivotedto a stationary part at the point 56, said plate being provided with the cam fingers57 and 58, respectively. These cam fingers operate within the notches or recesses 44 of the wheel 43 so that the plate 55 will be rocked back and forth as the wheel 43 is rotated in a manner somewhat similar to that of anescapement mechanism. A link 59 connects the plate 55 with the crank 54, so that the movements offthe alternate jack controlling plates 48 are dictated by the rotation of the wheel 43.

At the back side of the machine there is provided corresponding to each jack a controlling plate 60 pivoted at the point 61, and these rear jack controlling plates are normal- 1y operated by the slots 61 in the drum 37 in the manner well known and understood in the art. For this purpose each of the rear jack controllingplates 60 is provided with the opposite end heels 61 and 61, and, as shown in Fig. 11, these plates 60 are onset so that the heels 61 and 61 are thrown out of alignment. Consequently each plate 60 has one heel traveling in a slot 61 and the other heel traveling on the ridge between two slots; and by the proper formation of the slots the jack controlling plates are tilted or allowed to tilt back and forth in the well understood manner.

These rear jack controlling plates 60 are normally used and operated only during the knitting of the toe and heel of the sock or stocking; but I have found that if selected ones of them be operated during the operation of making the-top of the sock or stocking in harmony with the front jack controlling plates 48 and 48, it will be possible to produce a mock or false ribbed top resembling in appearance the ordinary form of true ribbed top.

For the above purposes I have provided on every alternate rear jack controlling plate 60 an upstanding lug or the like 62. Each of these lugs is provided with a slotted opening 63 through which extends a control rod 64. The end portions of this rod 64 are carried by cranks 65 at the ends of the machine, which cranks in turn are mounted upon a rock shaft 66 journaled in the frame of the machine. This rock shaft 66 passes out at a pointabove the wheel 53, where it is provided with a crank arm '67. An operating plate 68 is pivoted at a point 69 adjacent to the wheel 43,.and is provided with lugs 70 and 71 by means of which it is oscillated or rocked by the cam slots 44 as the wheel 43 turns. A link ,7 2 connects one end of the plate 68 to the crank 67 so that the rod 64 will be accordingly rocked back and forth periodically with the rotation of the wheel 43. It is to be observed that the rear jack operating plates 60 are at times rocked back and forth by the main drum 37 quite independent of any movement of the rod 64. The use of slotted openings63 on alternate jack controlling plates, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 6 and 9, makes it possible for the ack operating plates 60 to operate at such times, and when the jack operating plates 60 are to be actuated bythe rod 64, said rod engages the front portions of the slots 63 for this purpose.

As previously stated, if selected ones of the rear needles be operated in the proper man ner with respect to the front needles during the operation of making the top portion of the sock or stocking, the appearance of a ribbed top will 'be produced. Such effect is produced by using only every alternate rear needle and every alternate front needle on every alternate operation of the yarn carrier, all of the front needles and all of the rear needles being operated on the intermediate operations of the yarn carrier. That is to say. if on one operation of the yarn carrier all of the rear needles, as well as all of the front needles be used, and on the next operation of the yarn carrier only every alternate rear needle and every alternate front needle be used, and thereafter repeating the operation, alternately using all of the front and rear needles, but dropping every alternate front and rear needle on every other operation, there will be produced a stitch resembling in appearance the familiar ribbed top, but without the necessity of using extra yarns and a special yarn carrier during this operation. The slotted openings 63 on the alternate rear jack controlling plates make it possible to secure the above result, in conjunction with the fact that the alternate front jack controlling plates 48 are so formed that they will be raised and lowered at the proper times.

The wheel 43 at the left at that side of the machine has its slots 44 so cut or formed that the plates 55 and 68 may be tilted back and forth in order to properly control the jack controlling plates, provided said wheel be brought into operation at the proper time during the knitting of the complete sock or stocking and provided said wheel be properly rotated during the operation of knitting the top of the sock or stocking.

The shaft 40, which is normally driven through the medium of the worm screw 42, serves as a convenient means to drive the wheel 43. For this purpose the gear 45 may be made separate from the wheel 43, so that it will travel separately therefrom except when the wheel 43 is joined thereto, at which W time it will travel therewith. For this purpose I have provided the locking device shown in detail in Fig. 5. The same includes a pin 73 working across the wheel 43, the pin having a collar 74 by which it 1s normally projected toward the left side of the machine by a spring '75 shown in detailin Fig. 5. The end portion 76 of the pin 73 1s so formed as to take into and be engaged by one or more recesses or abutments on the cam wheel 45 so-as to drive the same; This driving will continue until the pin 73 is again disengaged, as by means of the engagement ofits head 77 with a suitable stationary part, such as a cam block 78.

The parts are so arranged that the driving of the cam wheel 43 will continue as long as necessary to build up the desired length of mock ribbed top or specially formed top portion of the sock or stocking. Y

The pinion 39 on the shaft 40 serves to intermediately drive the drum 37 during the operation of forming the toe and heel of the article. Constructions of this kind are well known and understood in the art, and I have not further described the same in detail for this reason.

I will state, however, that it is often the practice of shop operators and other persons attending machines of this kind to adjust the operations of the machine by the introduction of a tool, such as a screw-driver or the like, into engagement either with the pinion 39 or the gear with which it meshes so as to thereby artificially advance the position of the drum out of harmony with the movements of other parts of the machine. I wish to point out that in case this should be done in a machine having applied thereto the features of the present invention, serious damage might be occasioned to some portions of the machine, or, at any rate, the proper functioning of the various parts of the machine would be interrupted because the position of the drum 37 would thus be thrown out of harmony from the position of the cam wheel 43. therefore provided means for preventing such artificial and unnatural manipulation of the pinion 39 or the gear with which it meshes. This takes the form of a plate 79 appearing in Fig. 2, and mounted upon a rod or the like 80 in such a manner and in such a position that when the rod is slid over towards the left by the influence of a spring 81 or the like the plate 79 will move into the dotted-line posi tion of Fig. 2, wherein it covers over and protects the gear to whatever extent may be necessary to prevent such artificial or unnatural manipulation. A cam block 82 is mounted in conjunction with the rod 80 and works against the inner face of the gear wheel 45 or any other suitable elements whose rotations are in harmony with other movements of the machine, said inner face having cam slots 83 (see Fig. 4) so positioned that when the parts, including the drum 37, are supposed to be at rest the end portion '82 will seat into said cam slot, thereby permitting the spring 81 to move the plate 79 over into position where the gear will be protected from interference, as already explained.

While I have herein shown and described only a single embodiment of my present invention, still I wish it understood that I do not limit myself to said embodiment except as I may-do so in the claims.

I have This application is a continuationtin part of my previously filed application for Letters Patent of the United States Serial 'No. 735,239, filed by me September 2, 1924, for

improvements in knitting machines and'the i jacks, a jack controlling plate for each jack,

pivotal mountings for certain of said jack controlling plates whereby they may be tilted for .the purpose of raising or lowering their jacks into and out of engagement with the cam blocks, and a control drum in conjunction with thejack controlling plates for the rear jacks, whereby said jack controlling plates are periodically rocked on their pivotal mountings to correspondingly move their jacks into and out of engagement with the cam blocks, of a cam wheel, means for causing the same to rotate intermittently with the movements of the machine, cam operated devices in conjunction with said cam wheel for periodically rocking the alternate front jack controlling plates, and cam operated means in conjunction with said cam wheel for periodically rocking the alternate jack controlling plates for rear jacks, substantially as described.

2. In a straight line knitting machine, the combination with front and rear sets of oscillatable knitting needles and a jack in conjunction with each needle, said jacks being swingingly mounted with respect to their needles, front and rear cam blocks slidably mounted and adapted periodically to reciprocate the jacks, a jack controlling plate for each jack, pivotal mountings for certain of said jack controlling plates whereby they may be tilted for the purpose of raising and lowering their jacks into and out of engagement with the cam blocks, a control drum in conjunction with the jack controlling plates for the rear jacks, whereby said jack controlling plates are periodically rocked on their pivotal mountings to correspondingly move their jacks into and out of engagement with the cam blocks, and a gear for rotating said control drum, of a cam wheel, means for causing the same to rotate intermittently with the movements of the machine, cam operated devices in conjunction with said cam Wheel for periodically rocking the alternate front jack controlling plates, cam operated means in conjunction with said cam wheel for periodically rocking the alternate jack controlling plates for rear jacks, a movable cover plate adjacent to the gears aforesaid and adapted when in one position to cover over and protect said gears, means normally tending to move said cover plate into said covering position, and means in conjunction with said cam wheel for moving said cover plate into another position when the cam wheel stands idle, substantially as described. r

3. In a straight line knitting machine, the combination with front and rear sets of oscillatable knitting needles and a ack in conjunction with each needle, said jacks being movably mounted with respect to their needles, front and rear cam blocks slidably mounted and adapted periodically to reciprocate the jacks, a jack controlling plate for each jack, movable mountings for said jack controlling plates whereby they may be moved for the purpose of moving their jacks into and out of engagement with the cam blocks, a control drum in conjunction with the jack controlling plates for the rear jacks, whereby said jack controlling plates are periodically caused to move to correspondingly move their jacks into and out of engagement with the rear cam block, and a gear for rotating said control drum, of a cam wheel, means for causing the same to rotate intermittently with the movements of the machine, cam operated devices in conjunction with said cam wheel for periodically moving the alternate front jack controlling plates, cam operated means in conjunction with said cam wheel for periodically moving the alternate jack controlling plates for rear jacks, a movable cover plate'adjacent to the gears aforesaid and adapted when in one position to cover over and protect said gears, means normally tending to move said cover plate into said coverin position, and

means in conjunction with the cam wheel for moving said cover plate into another position when the cam wheel stands idle, substantially as described. 1

a In a straight line knitting machine, the combination with front and rear sets of oscillatable knitting needles and a jack in conjunction with each needle, said jacks being movably mounted with respect to their needles, front and rear cam blocks slidably mounted and adapted periodically to reciprocate the jacks, a jack controlling plate for each jack, movable mountings for said jack controlling plates whereby they may be moved for the purpose of moving their jacks into and out of engagement with the cam blocks, and a control drum in conjunction with the jack controlling plates for the-rear jacks, whereby said jack controlling plates are periodically caused to move to correspondingly move their jacks into and out of engagement'with'the rear cam block,of-a cam wheel, means for causing the same to rotate intermittently with the movements of the machine, cam operated devices in conjunction With said cam wheel for periodically moving the alternate front jack controlling plates, and cam operated means in conjunction with said cam Wheel for periodically moving the alternate jack controlling plates for rear jacks, substantially as described.

5. In a straight line knitting machine, the combination With front and rear sets of oscillatable knitting needles and a jack in conjunction with each needle, said jacks being movably mounted with respect to their needles, front and rear cam blocks slidably mounted and adapted periodically to reciprocate the jacks, a jack controlling plate for each jack, movable mountings for said jack controlling plates whereby they may be moved for the purpose of moving their jacks into and out of engagement with the cam blocks, and a control drum in conjunction with the jack controlling plates for the rear jacks, whereby said jack controlling plates are periodically caused to move to correspondingly move their jacks into and out of engagement with the rear cam block, of means opera-table according to the cycle of movements of the machine for at times moving the ack controlling plates for the alternate front jacks, and the jack controlling plates for alternate rear jacks into position Where their jacks are non-operative by the movement of the cam blocks, substantially as described.

6. In a straight parallel row knitting machine, in combination with the needles, jacks, needle actuating cams, and pattern mechanism for one row of needles, of a controller operated in timed relation to the cams, and mechanism operated by the controller supplemental to the action of said pattern mechanism for controlling the jacks of both roWs of needles to put alternate needles of each row out of action at alternate rounds of knitting.

7. In a Nelson type straight knitting machine, in combination with the front and rear rows of needles and the pattern cylinder for controlling the rear needles through the intermediary of jacks, of control means for rotating the cylinder, and mechanism operated by said control means for operating both the front and rear needle acks.

8. In a straight knitting machine, in combination, front and rear rows of needles, a pattern cylinder, cylindenoperating means, a controller cam operated by said means, and means operated by said controller cam acting through independent motion-trains to respec tively control the operation of needles in the front and rear rows.

9. In a straight row knitting machine, in combination, a front and a rear row of needles, means for advancing and retracting the needles, means for controlling the needles inaction including a pattern cylinder, means for imparting step-by-step movement to the pattern cylinder, and means operated by the last mentioned means for acting supplementail to the cylinder action to bring needles in both beds into and out of operative relation to their respective advancing and retracting means.

10. In a straight parallel row knitting machine in combination, a single pattern cylinder for controlling the needles of only one row to produce fashioning, as when knitting a heel, and pattern mechanism inaddition to said pattern cylinder for controlling the needles of both beds to produce tubular mock rib knitting.

11. In a straight line knitting machine, the combination With front and rear sets of oscillatable needles and a jack in conjunction with each needle, front and rear cam blocks slid-- ably mounted and adapted periodically to reciprocate the jacks, means for moving all of the jacks for the front and rear needles in harmony during consecutive movements in the knitting of one portion of an article and means for causing movement of alternate front and alternate rear jacks during another knitting movement substantially as described.

12. In a straight line knitting machine the combination With front and rear sets of oscillatable needles and a jack in conjunction with each needle, of means for moving all of the jacks and needles harmoniously during one movement of a knitting operation, together with means for causing movement only of alternate jacks and needles during another portion of a knitting operation substantially as described.

FRITHIOF NELSON. 

